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| District Chairman | Stu Stern | 301-464-1678 stuscout@erols.com | District Websites: |
| District Commissioner | Pete Saderholm | 410-451-4713 petegene@erols.com | http://www.bsa.net/md/patuxent |
| Scout Executive (Acting) | Dave Roberts | Droberts@boyscouts-ncac.org | http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org//district/patuxent/ |
To Subscribe to The Patuxent Post e-mail edition simply send an e-mail to chris.schwartz@ieee.org with the words SUBSCRIBE PAX POST in the Subject Line. Please send articles or items of interest at least 2 weeks in advance of the next round table. Pax Post is posted at https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/paxpost or http://www.geocities.com/paxmeritbadge/paxpost
The summer is past and we need to get our Scouting program back in high gear. There are three major areas that require focus at this time. The first is MEMBERSHIP. For Cub Scout Packs it is important to have a successful Join Scouting Night at your local School or sponsor. Success requires some planning and lots of advertising. Have a meeting for the boys and energize them about the Scouting program, while you recruit additional adult leaders at a separate meeting. Each Pack is only a couple of years away from extinction unless new Cubs are added each year. The program sells -- if you sell it.
The second issue is ADULT LEADERSHIP. If you have a small number of adults doing a large number of tasks, your unit is heading for trouble. It is important to add new adult leaders each year and one of the best sources is the parents of new scouts. If you can show them how they will fit into the Unit and what specific task you would like them to perform, there is a better possibility of success. Have an adult only meeting so you can talk to them. Have a leadership organization chart showing the positions filled and the ones requiring new people. Have specific duties for these vacant positions. Do not be shy, ask them directly for help.
The third issue best addressed at this time is TRAINING. Each of the Scout programs will have appropriate training for leaders this fall coupled with the "Fast Start" training the Unit should conduct. By providing the training for the new leaders early, they and the Unit benefit all year. So focus on Membership, Adult Leaders and Training and have a successful Scouting Program.
PETE SADERHOLM, District Commissioner, <petegene@erols.com>
Goshen Bear Workend by Bob Leek
Do you want to be a Bear? Many of your Patuxent District Scouter friends are already Bears; Goshen Bears that is. Join us on the weekend (Workend in Bear talk) Sept 28 to 30. We work a full day on Saturday and half day on Sunday doing everything you can imagine for maintenance at Goshen. The facilities, which are well maintained by the Goshen Bears are becoming known around the country. Usually we have 30-40 Patuxent Scouters, men and women, of the 150-200 Workend attendees. All you need is a working body, work clothes, $14.00 for five meals (and how those cooks from FSK do feed us!). Pre-registration and $7.00 of your meal fee is requested to be in two weeks before the Workend of Friday-Sunday September 28-30 Friday-Sunday. For more information ask a Bear or call Ed Allison (301) 927-6949 or Bob Leek (301) 725-6443.
SMF IS ON. As soon as the registration forms and costs are determined we get them to interested parties immediately. Since the next Roundtable is on Sept 12th, that only leaves 2 weeks to get all registrations collected, and that is not enough time. We need to move this FAST. It can go out on the e-mail list, get put on all three Patuxent sites (Official, Unofficial, and the PaxPost/MBC sites).
DATES: Sep 29, Oct 13, Oct 26-28
LOCATION: Day Training St. John's Lutheran Church, Riverdale
Oct 26-28 Camp - Watkins Park
COST: TBD (New curriculum & materials changed the costs)
REGISTRATION: To be distributed shortly
CONTACT: BOB HERMANN, 301-498-8407
The three sessionswill cost $30. New materials makes the price somewhat uncertain. Bob Herrman is the lead. 301-498-8407. The camping adventure will take place at Watkins Regional Park.
Who should participate? According to the new syllabus this course provides scoutmasters, assistant scoutmasters, troop committee members, and interested parents, with the fundamentals, and basic knowledge needed to be successful in bringing Scouting to boys.
Why should you participate and how can it benefit my unit? Every scout deserves a trained leader. Through training, a leader is better able to bring a quality program and the best possible experiences to the Scouts.
What information is covered? This course builds on information presented in fast start training: the troop meeting, troop organization, and the outdoor program.
The Cub
Scout Basic Leader Training will be on October 13, 2001 at the
Grace Lutheran Church in Bowie. Registration starts are 8:30 and
the training is from 9:00 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. There will also be
youth protection training for any adults that need it from
9:00-10:30 a.m. Pre-registration is necessary and flyers will be
handed out at both the September and October Cub Scout Leader
Roundtable Meetings. Anyone needing information can call Ginny
Fromel at 301-552-1576 or via e-mail at VFromel@aol.com
Come and join 1,000
fellow Cub Scout Leaders to learn new ideas for crafts,
advancement activities, games, songs, program administration and
much, much more!! All classes are taught by experienced Cub
Scouters with an average of 5 years as leaders and/or trainers in
the Cub Scouting program.
Information and Application at http://www.geocities.com/paxpost2001 or https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/paxpost
REI is again offering a great selection of seminars
at the Baileys Crossroads and College Park stores. Our crew goes
out to dinner and then to one of their seminars perhaps every
quarter. Three excellent seminars that are coming up are:
Sep 25 - Autumn Along the Eastern Divide (College Park)
Sep 26 -Autumn Along the Easter Divide (Baileys Crossroads)
Oct 16 – Hike America! Virginia! (College Park)
Oct 17 – Hike America! Virginia! (Baileys Crossroads)
Oct 23 – Survival Skills: Fire Without Matches (College
Park)
Oct 24 – Survival Skills: Fire Without Matches (Baileys
Crossroads)
Why not have a night out together! Wear your uniform and show
that BSA likes high adventure.
All talks start at 7:30 PM. Why make it a night and go out to
dinner with your Venture patrol, Varsity team or Venturing crew
and attend one of these sessions? For more information, call REI
at (703) 379-9400 or (301) 982-9681.
By now you should have received your V3 Hike-o-ree registration form in the mail. Unlike previous years, forms and the $60 per unit attending need to be sent directly to NCAC, Attn. Mark Heeley, Venturing Professional. The dates for this year’s Hike-o-ree are October 5-7 or November 2-4. Cost will be $13.50 ($14.00 for extra extra large shirts). For more information or registration forms, contact Mark Heeley at NCAC or e-mail me at coopwright@aol.com.
Date: October 13, 2000 9:00 to 4:00 Cost: $1.00 to cover chemicals and glassware Note: Only 7 boys from each Troop are allowed, pre-registration preferred. Boys showing up will be taken on a "as available basis". For Flyer, Directions & Workbook, go to https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/MBDays/chem.html or http://www.geocities.com/paxmeritbadge/MBDays/chem.html
Land Navigation/Orienteering MB The very best Land Navigation course I have ever taken (and that includes over 20 years in the Army) will be offered again at REI at Baileys Crossroads, October 20-21, 2001. The first day will be spent in intensive classroom exercises. The second day will be spent on and off trail in Prince William Forest Park doing practical navigation exercises. The course fee is $85.00 and includes workbook text, course materials, compass, map, and grid reader. The course is taught by Mr. Tom Terry and we use the material that he developed when we train Venturers and troops. If you are looking to get a firm understanding of land navigation techniques to bring back to your unit, this course is for you. The course fills very quickly, so contact REI at (703) 379-9400. There is also an excellent GPS class offered on September 22, 2001 at the REI College Park store. Cost of this class is $15 for REI members and $25 for non-members. Call the College Park store at (301) 982-9681 for more details.
Annual Teen Labor Education Day. The workshop will enable the scouts to fulfill many of the American Labor Merit Badge requirements in one day. Saturday, November 3, 2001 and/or Saturday, March 23, 2002. See https://www.angelfire.com/md2/bsapax/MBDays/labor/labor.html or http://www.geocities.com/paxmeritbadge/MBDays/labor/labor.html
Baltimore Area Council 25th Annual Boy Scouts
of America presents Maryland Scout Orienteering Day at Patuxent
River Park, Upper Marlboro, Md., 12 miles east of D.C. Beltway
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2001 MAIL FORM BELOW BY NOVEMBER 21
Your troop is invited to take part in a day of orienteering fun
coordinated the National Capital Orienteering Club (QOC) &
our veteran Scouter staff. Cost is $3.00 per participant. Parents
& over-18 leaders are most definitely welcome, but not Cubs
or Webelos. Venture & Explorer members (under 18) can compete
as a unit or as part of their associated troop. Parents &
troops should try the fun public beginner events too at parks in
Howard, Montgomery, & P.G. Counties (call the (QOC) INFO-line
at 703-528INFO, or http://qoc.nova.org (which has
this form.)) see http://qoc.nova.org/scout.htm
International
Event: 16 th New Zealand Jamboree, Meet the Challenge, Mystery
Creek, Hamilton, New Zealand Dec. 29 2001 - Jan. 6 2002
Information: Mr. Warren Dennis, Jamboree Manager, P.O. Box 1006,
Cambridge, New Zealand E-mail: manager@jamboree.scouts.org.nz
Visit their web site at jamboree.scouts.org.nz The Jamboree
Program Team are scouts who are involved with the planning and
preparation for the Jamboree from start to finish. Up to 5,000
ten to fifteen-year-old scouts are expected. Activities include:
Scouting skills, Climbing, Abseiling, Prussiking, BMX cycling
course, Orienteering, Amateur Radio activities, Two Lakes
Challenge, Bridge over Snake Gully, Battle of the bulge, Motor
Bikes and Mountain Biking, Roller Blades, Scooters, Skateboards,
Radio Control Cars, Model Railways, and Bike Bungling. Overnight
off site activities are available for a fee.
International Scout Camp Camp de La Fresnaye, Belgium (Fedration des Scouts Catholiques) The campsite of La Fresnaye is mainly designed to accommodate Scout/Guide groups or other youth associations, tents or in chalets (without beds). Groups are independent, but all groups must help to maintain shared facilities. Swimming pool, tennis courts, games, etc. Campsite Information: Camp de La Fresnaye, Prins Boudewijnlaan 1, B - 1653 Dworp, Belgium Tel: (+32.2) 380 12 91 Fax: (+32.2) 380 77 35 Contact Information: Jean-Paul Mariotte, c/o Camp de la Fresnaye, Heidebloem 1, B - 1653 Dworp, Belgium Tel: (+32.2) 380 12 91 Fax: (+32.2) 380 77 35
The Parent/Son Camping program is designed to give a
Cub Scout or Webelos Scout and his adult partner an opportunity
to spend a fun-filled 24-hour period together in the outdoors.
During this 24-hour period, they will learn more about each other
by working and playing together within a planned program of
activities. Space is limited: 96 pairs per weekend. Cost is
$56.00 per buddy pair and is NON REFUNDABLE.
The dates and locations are:
September 15-16, 2001, Izaak Walton League, Poolesville,
Maryland October 13-14, 2001 Camp William B Snyder, Haymarket,
Virginia
Details and signup forms are on the NCAC Homepage: http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/camps/weekend.html
Theme: Friends & Family. This is for all Protestant and Catholic Cub Scouts. Activities, discussions & crafts reinforce the theme. Patch provided, $5 fee, bring a bag lunch. Contact: Eneida Martinez-Brown 301-864-0059
The good folks in the Arapahoe District, Long Peak Council have put together a wonderful listing of backpacking techniques, tricks, toys and truths that should be mandatory reading for anyone undertaking a trek into the backcountry. These guys live in the shadow of the Rockies and they definitely know what they are talking about. Why not download a copy and have your unit go over each item BEFORE you hit the trail head this summer. Check it out at http://www.longspeakbsa.org/Arapahoe/backpacking.shtml
Friends of
Scouting Thank you to all the units and presenters that
helped with this year's program. Thanks to the support of over
60% of the units in the district, we have pledges of just over
$17,000 for the Family Campaign. If you have funds for the
program or if your unit did a FOS presentation and did not turn
it in please turn it at Roundtable or to your unit commissioner
or to me. Again thank you for your help and support. Dick Clark
301-352-8606 or dickclark2@aol.com
It is not too early to set dates and presentors for next years presentations.
Please call Dick Clark if you would like to join in this important activity.
Some unit never received a presentation in 2001 of the good work that is done with the money collected for FOS. They were never given an opportunity to help with this important work. Let's not exclude units, because a someone isn't available for the presentation. Many hands make light the work. The units who didn't receive a presentation in 2001 are Packs 9, 132, 251, 252, 256, 257, 1009, 1010 and 1250 and Troops 67, 256, 257, 411, 707, 716, 740, 746, 1022, 1212 and 1559.
The new Cub Roundtable Commissioner for Patuxent District will be David Smith, a Webelos Den Leader of Pack 1688 in Bowie. David has been on the Roundtable Staff for several years and has been actively persuing training at both the local and national levels. Having served as a Cubmaster and Pack Committee Chairman he has experience in many Cub leadership roles. Dave has also been to leader training at Philmont Scout Ranch. Our Crack Roundtable Staff from last year is still active and will be there to assist and enlighten you every month. We are always looking for enthusiastic leaders to join us in demonstrating and informing both new and experienced Cub Leaders.
Last year's Cub Roundtable Commissioner Brian Suddeth is still around and active too! A 29 year veteran of Scouting, he plans to focus this year on sharpening his skills as a Boy Scout leader. He will be attending the Boy Scout Roundtables and serving on the Troop 1688 Committee, Pack 1046 Den Leader Coach, District Staff, and NCAC Parent/Son Camping staff. You'll still not be able to escape him, since he'll be popping up at the Cub Roundtable occassionally also.
Our experienced and friendly Cub Roundtable Staff are ready to roll with a new year of ideas for you. Ginny Fromel, Sue Moffit, Joan Smith, Ed Weeks and Brian Suddeth will be working with Dave Smith to keep you informed and help you build a healthy, happy Pack. Meet us at the Glen Dale Firehouse every 2nd Wednesday at 7:30 PM. For details call David Smith at 301-352-0365 or Brian Suddeth 301-262-9426.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Upcoming Patuxent District merit badge days for the coming Scout year:
| October 27, 2001 | Citizenship in the Community, Nation and World |
| February 2, 2002 | First Aid, Emergency Preparedness, and Personal Fitness |
| April 20, 2002 | Communications, Family Life, and Personal Management |
MERIT BADGE DAY HOST TROOPS NEEDED!
We are looking for Troops to host the October 27 and February 20 Patuxent District merit badge day. It does not take a lot of work-- you provide the meeting place and I will get the merit badge counselors. If you are interested contact Tim Looney @ 301-805-1352 or by email: jtlooney@hotmail.com
The National Capital area council has hired an excecutive whose job is Venturing. HIs name is Mark Heeley and he is interested in contacting those who might want to be involved in Venturing roundtable on a district or multi-distrcit basis. He will also be a source of information about council level Venturing activities. He can be reached via E-mail at mheeley@boyscouts-ncac.org or by phone at 301-214-9105.
Doug Gentry who had moderated the Venture, Canoe and Philmont list at dynapolis.com for 12 years will be ending his 42 year association with the Boy Scouts of American on September 1, 2001. If you have been a subscriber on his lists or if you have ever wanted to be a subscriber to pick up the latest in Venturing and High Adventure news, two new lists have started on Yahoo..To subscribe to the new High Adventure list go to http://www.High_Adventure-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To subscribe to the Venturing list, go to http://www.Venturinglist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Come and join these two very active groups as they discuss issues that impact the older youth programs of the Boy Scouts of America.
If you are looking for resources to help you guide youth on high adventure outing, there is another new resource available for you on the web. Boots and Blisters, one of the oldest high adventure newsletters is now online at http://www.bootsandblisters.com . Published by the San Francisco Bay Area Council's High Adventure Team, Boots and Blisters' first edition was published in 1976. It is currently mailed to over 600 individuals across the United States. Through the years, it has given coutless tips on the outdoor experience as well as being a handy resource on a large range of topics. So take a look at their new site. You can request a private email when the site is updated.
Our Native American brothers call it a powwow but it bears little resemblance to that of Cub Scout lore. Actually it is a big social and family event with all the children, horses, dogs, outdoor lodgings of all types, a dance arena, carnival food and entertainment. Everybody is invited including non Native Americans. It is an opportunity to honor heroes, teach lore and etiquet to the youngsters, compete in anything that you can find two people wanting a challenge, dance, generally show off, and have fun.
Well, BSA has it's program and safety guides so we'll make some modifications.
We're shooting for a full event in the 2002-2003 program year but plan to have some smaller activities as part of camporees and klondike derbys beforehand. So the need for a committee is immediate.
If you are interested in really having a good time working on a great event, one that will help keep Cubs in scouting and draw our entire scouting family together, come help. With a little encouragement, our OA dance team should find a lot of new members among the Cubs who learn to dance early. Haw about a Patuxent District Drum (the term refers to the instrument and all its singers)!
The initial contact is Nick Dunten, 301 927-0501 or nick.dunten@verizon.net and you'll be contacted with the date and place of the first meeting.
All units wishing to sell popcorn, please select a unit popcorn chair (kernal) and register with the district popcorn coordinator Ed Partington at partington.ed@erols.com or (301) 464-3138. Then have your scouts collect pledges on their popcorn order forms which will be mailed the first week in September. Also plan some table sales at local public meeting places like stores, malls, pack/troop meetings, or churches. Remember this is the only fundraiser in which the scouts are permitted to wear there uniform.
Important popcorn dates
September 24 - First order is due to district
popcorn chair
October 6 - Pickup popcorn order at distribution point
October 24 - Last order due to district popcorn chair
November 10 - Pickup last popcorn order
December 28 - Final payment in full and prizes ordered due to
NCAC.
